Direct bank ownership of company shares is believed to benefit borrowing companies in developed markets. However, little is known about how such bank relationship works in emerging markets, where the relative costs and benefits of such practice become less straightforward due to loose...

Using a panel of Chinese banks over the 1997-2004 period, we assess the effect of bank ownership on performance. Specifically, we conduct a joint analysis of the static, selection, and dynamic effects of (domestic) private, foreign and state ownership. We find that the "Big Four" state-owned...